Data centres are generating new jobs, skills and careers
It may not be obvious from the outside but keeping each data centre running efficiently and without disruption creates hundreds of skilled jobs for local people.
Construction
Construction of one of our projects requires a broad range of construction, engineering, electrical and heating and ventilation workers. At Clearstone, we are committed to working with local companies so that investment into our projects enables these companies to grow, recruit more employees and train new employees through apprenticeships.
At our Ebbsfleet project, approximately 700 construction workers will be employed on site each year across a three year build programme, 600 0f which will be drawn from the local area. When jobs created within the supply chain – materials, manufacturing and logistics – and those supported by construction workers wages being spent with local businesses are included, the scheme will support an average of approximately 1,100 jobs per year locally.
Operations
Once operational, our sites create lasting, high-quality employment opportunities in engineering, IT, operations and security. This includes new roles related to delivering AI applications to end users, also known as AI Inference.
These include GPU and accelerator engineers, who manage the specialised chips used for inference workloads. Network engineers, who keep the ultra-low-latency networking running between chips, racks, and the outside world. Capacity planners, who forecast demand and ensure enough compute is available as usage grows. Site reliability engineers (SREs), who keep the serving infrastructure running and minimise downtime.
Alongside technical roles, centred on operations,, a data centre campus also creates additional jobs in areas such as landscaping, logistics, cleaning and catering.
Our Ebbsfleet project will create more than 400 additional permanent jobs, rising to almost 6000 when jobs created within the supply chain and through wages being spent with local businesses are included.
Supporting Skills Development
Data centres have a role to play in shaping future skills. Running a data centre campus requires a diverse talent pool and skills acquired can be easily transferred to roles in other parts of the technology and digital sectors.
At Clearstone we are committed to making our data centre campuses catalysts for promoting careers in engineering and technology within local communities and working with local learning providers to ensure that the training is available to support these career choices.
With digital infrastructure and services becoming increasingly more important to economic growth, data centres will continue to play a significant role in developing the next generation of skilled professionals, creating careers and supporting communities for decades to come.
